Mental Health Swims has been awarded almost £18,000 of lottery money to extend its mission to support mental health through swimming.

The community organisation was set up in 2019 by Rachel Ashe MBE when she was searching for a welcoming, inclusive space that actively supports those living with mental health challenges. After experiencing the benefits of outdoor swimming herself, she founded the organisation to create a network of supportive communities for people to work on their mental health while enjoying the benefits of swimming.

Over the last five years, more than 400 volunteers have set up some 150 outdoor swim groups across the UK. The emphasis is on dips and community, rather than distance and competition.

The funding injection from the National Lottery Community Fund will be used to roll out the Swim Together programme, which takes the concept into indoor pools. The model works by GPs referring individuals to free swim sessions that include mental health peer support. This will allow greater geographical coverage and make the programme accessible to those with mobility issues or physical disabilities.

“The introduction of Swim Together at leisure centres means that peer support groups will be available at inner city locations that are easier to access by foot or public transport,” says Ashe. “By having facilities such as accessible changing rooms, toilets, parking and cafes for a post-swim catch-up, we can be much more inclusive.”

The project was successfully piloted in Leamington Spa last year, in partnership with Leamington Spa Primary Care Network, Everyone Active and Swim England. Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi says it is a great success: “The NHS in Leamington Spa has always had a passion to support patients through a holistic, personalised approach. Mental Health Swims is the perfect fit. The sessions are now packed and really popular with patients.”

Fifteen indoor pools are already lined up to run Swim Together sessions and Mental Health Swims is looking for more collaborations with both primary care networks and leisure centres who have the Swim England Water Wellbeing accreditation.

Andrew Power, water wellbeing specialist at Swim England, welcomed the funding: “There are so many potential barriers to people being active, but this approach will help bridge the gap between decision and action, empowering more people to overcome their own personal challenges and allow them to experience the wellbeing benefits that being in the water can bring.”